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The Nature of Shinma

Shinma are, officially, the extension of the idea that spirits govern everything taken to its logical limit.

There are certain levels to them. Nirguna, if it rested atop of anything that was not a meta-shinma, would rest atop nothing but the First Cause - /Aparaspara. It's not necessary for something like Aparaspara ('Without Cause') to exist, however, and instead being a fundamental law that is beyond even the Shinma. This is fine, as, by definition, it ought not to exist anyway.

Some have complete dependancies - they all depend on Nirguna, and Nirakara, without form, requires the existance of Nirupadhika to have shape in. Others are less so - Nirveshesha partly requires Nirakara, Nishkriya requires Nirvikalpa and vise-versa, and Dharma, after a fashion, requires them all, and they all, too, require Nirveshesha.

It should be noted that these shinma often encompass far, far more than what the Fair Folk book might suggest, if we look at their names. Nirupadhika completely and utterly encompasses Nirakara, to the point where one could consider the latter an Aspect of the former. Advaita Iraivan - literally, 'Non-Dualistic Divine One' - is the only shinma that is specifically listed as being encompassed by another, however (an aspect of Nirguna).

The Shinma are, however, still patterns. Noting that -everything- is a pattern, this is telling, on oh so many levels. Rampant speculation follows.

The Unshaped

Normally consist of one master intellect and several sub-intellects. While they are not overly powerful as described, it's certainly feasible to suggest that they can congregate more 'intellects'. In addition, it's certainly possible for several Unshaped to merge, forming a master-master intellect.

A kind of proto-Primordial. Not exactly, and not yet, because such a thing needs a reason to hold together. Otherwise, it's just going to dissapate, without purpose. It either needs to identify with a current shinma (perhaps the most likely) or become a shinma in its own right (in other words, defining a new property). Or both.

Defining a new property is a difficult concept to think of - shinma are generally pretty fundamental. While many other shinma may exist atop the eight current 'canon' ones, they already are, defining things that already had to be defined. While it's possible to come up with something new, every example I can think of comes out as 'stupid' or 'lame'. You don't need many laws to make a Universe.

Aspects and Primordials

"Ishiika (senses) is immortal on the level of a Primordial." - But Ishiika is not all-sensing, or blind. It can be coerced into allegience, apparantly, though the legends of the Raksha are known for being overblown.

That sentence in the Fair Folk book gave me this idea :-) Basically, the Aspects of shinma, when they are not shinma themselves, are Primordials. They are basic things that their master shinma have defined. In this sense, Nirguna defines the seven (and possibly more) shinma beneath him, along with a number of Primordial-like beings.

Like the aspects of the shinma, Primordials are almost concepts, in a way. Unlike the shinma, however, their names define them by what they are more than what they are not. This, however, blurs - at least to a point. Advaita Iraivan may well create, through his unitarian nature, duality - Yin and Yang, Male and Female, Good and Evil, and so on.

Since all of the Shinma aspects appear to have Hindii and Sanskrit names, they don't define as much as their parents do. This could well extend down to the Primordials, in some ways greater and in others Less.

Shinma and Creation

All of the shinma are an important aspect of Creation, though, one is sort-of missing that, when added, fleshes out a few more details. Vyasavah - withouth life - death. Vyasavah's aspects were many of the Primordials at least, and all of those who are now Malfeans - He Who Holds in Thrall, Gaia, The Ebon Dragon, She Who Lives in Her Name and perhaps others.

Beyond this, the Incarna themselves are the fetich souls of aspects of other Shinma - the Unconquered Sun of Advaita Iraivan, Saturn of Naraka and so on. This isn't true for the remaining gods, however.

In any case, when the first of the Primordials was slain, something bad happened. Whatever it was, it was a fundamental piece of Nirguna. When the impossible happened - when it was struck down, there was literally nothing in Vyasavah that could comprehend the idea of its death. A piece of Nirguna became no more, and, in turn, became Oblivion.

The damage didn't end there, however, as Vyasavah itself became no more. In a sense, it was Creation's stability - there was no reason to 'defend the Pattern' - it -was- the Pattern. With several of its aspects actually dead and several others imprisoned, however, Creation is immenently vulnerable to the assaults of the Wyld, and, in order to prop up its defenses, the Essence flows that Vyasavah's existance would normally create must be replicated. Without this process, Creation - at least its outer reaches, crumbles.

Oblivion

Oblivion is a Wound in Nirguna, an infected blow in the very fabric of Existence itself, and ever-growing. In dying, the Malfeans redefined their parent Shinma, twisting its role into something different, and breaking its cohesion entirely. Its role is still fulfilled, but with Oblivion's drain and the Wyld pressing against Creation - it needs defense, for the Shinma's pattern is no longer a true one.

Comments

Here's a thought: If you knew how, could you break your Graces into their aspects? Breaking the heart to create numerous graces such as a 'Life Grace' for Vyasavah? Is a Shinma composed of its sub-patterns or do the sub-patterns merely make it easier to perceive the whole, is what I'm getting at - because if we assume the first, then the alterations to Creation caused by the interference of outside forces and the events of Exalted would have a tangible effect on the shinma themselves (it would therefore be possible to REDEFINE identity, for example, by modifying aspects of Nirvisesha.) If we assume the latter, then would a dead Primordial merely be a disrupted pattern that therefore exists SOMEWHERE - it's just not immediately visible to the current audience. ~ BerserkSeraph

Since having a grace requires a shinma to emulate, that creates an interesting co-relationship. And generally, yes, I think such things are possible. Perhaps outside the heights of the First Age. But see, it has the interesting effect of providing an in-game way to change the game mechanics. Sort of. I find that amusing. -Xeriar

This all seems to be predicated on the idea--originated, I believe, by FourWillowsWeeping, commonplace on the wiki, but not supported by canon as far as I can see--that the Primordials embody abstract aspects of the physical law of Creation. I don't accept that. In my game, the Primordials are Unshaped who went a bit beyond the God-Body Style Charms listed in the book. As the book says, the Style has been corroded by too-frequent use by the Unshaped; it used to be able to do things that are no longer possible, even in the infinite and unbridled possibility of the Wyld, because Nirvishesha itself has suffered at the hands of the jealous Unshaped. --MF